Maria Lina owner wounded 2 men nabbed for robbing caterer

CEBU, Philippines - Two suspected robbers were arrested after preying on the owner of a known catering service in Barangay Punta Princesa shortly before noon yesterday.

Police said Maria Lina Mier, owner of Maria Lina Catering Services located along F. Llamas St., of the same barangay, has to be taken to the hospital due to the bruises she sustained in the head and back during the robbery.

The victim was allegedly injured while grappling for her bag as one of the suspects, Carl Dumat-ot, 23, poked a caliber .45 pistol at her.

PO3 Fortunato Macaranas of Punta Princesa Police said the incident happened while the victim and her husband, Ernesto Mier, 48, were barely done parking their Pajero outside Maria Lina Catering office.

Maria Lina was allegedly getting out of the car driven by her husband when Dumat-ot, a resident of Ward II, Minglanilla town, pointed a gun at her and snatched her shoulder bag that led into a brief scuffle.

The suspect succeeded in taking the bag by poking hard on the victim’s head and back. Dumat-ot then went back to the motorcycle driven by his cohort, Arman Pabatan, 27, and tried to drive away. Pabatan is a resident of barangay Quiot.

Police said both suspects are native of Sultan Kudarat in Mindanao.

But the couple’s 25-year-old son, Kurt Mier, who was also about to park his car, saw the incident and immediately bumped the motorcycle of the fleeing suspects.

Because of the impact, the two were thrown off from the motorcycle but they managed to stand up immediately and flagged down a taxicab.

Right after receiving the information on the incident, Punta Princesa police immediately conducted a road block and finally intercepted the taxicab on Tres de Abril St.

The suspects were arrested and are now detained while charges are being prepared against them.

The victim’s bag, together with gun, containing seven live ammunition and a cellular phone was recovered from their possession. The police also seized the get-away motorcycle, a Honda Wave with plate numbers GS-3669 from the two. —(FREEMAN)